Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-22

rally, who meet one VI WV evenings
week and spend happy time in sing
inc classical music and chatting over
Their beer. Recently they have all
been arrested for pursuing this heinous
course.
they will no longer be permitted to
drink beer and sing in the same place.
Did any one ever bearof a German be-
inc able to sing without being backed
mn and fortified by beer Before long
New Workers will have to apply to the
police for PERMISSION to breathe. The
inture of ench absurd Puritanism is
plain. At the next election Mike Coo
gan, Gilly the Blue, Plug OGonnigle,
or Patsey O'Keefe Will run for mayor
ON the great platform of free rum, free
finn. and an enlightened civilization,
and sweep the town by a hundred thou
sand majority.
GABLAYDs FOR GRANTS TOMB.
Seeing so many beautiful flowers
heaped upon the tomb of General
Grant. which l visited the other day,
nv curiosity was excited by the ques-
ton. Where do they all come from,
and do they serve no other purpose
than TO deck the great soldier resting
place until they die? Garlands are
appropriate to the soldier, living or
dead but the best men are not remem-
bered always, and so the proiusion OF
the flowers surprised me.
A few days later, in conversation
with Colonel Fred. Grant, | learned
the sources of the garlands, and also
that their usefulness outlives their
| beauty.
"My mother has always visited the
tomb every day until the last two
weeks" said Colonel Grant. "Then
she caught cold, and it settled into
serious illness, which has confined her
to her room and to the doctors care, so
that she could not make her daily
visits.
docs the family furnish all the flo
raj decorations which fill the vault ?" l
asked.
"No, no indeed, we do not, replied
Colonel Grant. "Once every week my
mother takes out large design made
L
until she orders the guard to remove
them and replace them with the fresh
ones she may send. SO that all the
time her selection of flowers is there"
"1he other flowers are from friends,
then 2"
"SOme are, but the majority are
from srangers. I can say that daily,
without IN exception, floral remem-
brances are received from all parts OF
the United States. We order them
placed in the vault, where they remain
until faded and withered.
"Who generally sends them ?"
"Well, they come in all ways froM
Grand-Army posts, clubs, societies,
school and mission children. Then
private people, both of this and other
cities, send beautiful remembrances iG
floral work"
"When the Americas Club OF Pitts
burgh," he continued, celebrated the
anniversary of General Grants birth
day they sent me an invitation, and
attended At the same time they sent
a costly pillow, of the most exquisite
flowers | ever saw, to be placed in the
tomb. just at the same date ii number
of schoOi-children OF Los Angeles, Cal,
sent a mass of beautiful flowers, which
reached here in perfect state of pre-
servation. They attracted great deal
of admiration"
What is done with all the faded |
fowers?"
They never go to waste, was the
reply. Solicitations arrive in num-
bers daily from people of all classes
and stations in life, begging for some
memento from General Grants tomb.
They ask something, if it be no more
than withercd leaf or bud. The
guards are continually promising the |
faded flowers to visitors, always pro-
yiding Mrs. Grant gives permission |
or has not promised them elsewhere. |
Some get an entire design, which they |
have framed to preserve the faded |
flowers, but the demand is so much |
greater than the supply, regardless of |
all the flowers received daily, that they |
are generally divided. Just the other /
day Mrs. Grant gave Miss Helen Des-
mond large pillow from the Generals |
tomb. Miss Desmond, | believe, in |
tended 10 present it to some post.
Since my father was buried l know that |
not even faded bud taken from his |
tomb has been thrown away"
THE DOWNTOWN LUNCH-CoUNTERs.
Occasionally some ordinary, every
day act of humanity stands for mo-
ment in so clear light that its absurd
ity appears in true colors. 1t is sort |
of instantaneous mental photography |
which shows things as they are. Who |
has not stopped short OF such glimpse
of tue foolishness of some common |
word, the ugliness of modern attire, |
the nonsense of putting butter on
bread, and a hundred other things. It's
queer sensation when you get it.
Every now and then some poor fellow
sees his entire existence in such light,
and then he blows his brains out and
dies laughing. But it needn't be so
desperate as that. had the sensation
wildly the other day when / stood |
watching the backs OF about fifty men
who were sitting on little stools in a
line. Their heads were stuck straight
out before them their elbows were
poked into each others ears and ribs
and each was destroying his neighbors
comfort in the present and his own in
the future, for the scene was lunch
counter and the time p. N. | moral
lied for a moment and then Join
ed the mob. There was a sharp |
struggle for seat, in the course of !
which several of the ten communicates |
were killed and others severely in
jured-but l got there just the same
after having pushed a very small man
almost into the pockets of his neigh
Dor, who was of magnificent proper
tons. Then / called for something l |
didn't like because it was ready, and |
ate it like a savage, while a lean and
hungry citizen waited for my place |
with conspicuous impotence. As soon
as gotoff the stool two men attempted
to sit down on it simultaneously and
third took advantage OF their failure to
take possession.
THIS is the lunch-counter of down
town New York, which is an establish
ed institution-the palladium of our
doctors. 1t enables hosts of men to
save twenty minutes n day for business |